Current renewable fuels and fuel systems only enable the user to operate on a single biofuel/biofuel blend. Biodiesel, biofuel, renewable fuel, etc., are all used interchangeably as it relates to system descriptions and operation. Below are two examples of current systems.
Example A: The user has a stock vehicle with a single draw tank scenario. The user fills the tank with commercially available biodiesel. This biodiesel is what is available at the pump and the user has no input in this selection. In September the user fills the tank with B20 (a 20% blend of biodiesel 80% diesel) in a location where during the day the temperature averages high 60's low 70's, and at night the temperature drops into the 40's. The biodiesel fuel will begin to gel as the temperature drops. This will cause hard starts and filter clogging in the vehicle. Because this vehicle is only operating on the original equipment manufacturer's or stock fuel system, the user's vehicle would be rendered inoperable until the fuel warmed up or maintenance was performed.
Example B: The user has what is currently available as a renewable fuel system added to the stock fuel system configuration. This enables the user to operate on pure (100%) concentrations of renewable fuel because the renewable fuel system operates in auxiliary to the stock system. Traditional operation would be as follows: The user fills the vehicle's stock tank with diesel fuel and the auxiliary tank with 100% biodiesel. The engine starts and shuts down on the traditional diesel fuel system and this alleviates the issues associated with cold weather performance. As the engine warms up on diesel, the alternative fuel system is being heated. When the biofuel is sufficiently heated, the system switches over to the 100% biodiesel tank either manually or automatically depending on the system. Primarily, the fuel system components are isolated from one another so that the diesel and renewable fuel systems operate independently and do not cross contaminate. This scenario allows the user to operate on diesel or renewable fuel in an “either or” situation. The vehicle is either running on diesel or renewable fuel.
Both of these examples have significant drawbacks. A fixed fuel scenario is not ideal in most operations but it is the only available solution, and therefore standard operating procedure.
Currently, there are no automatic engine parameter adjustment systems that determine and set the optimal engine operating conditions based on specific fuel characteristics of the fuel being utilized. The commercial market is any and all combustion engines that preferably operate with some type of electronic fuel system controls. In practice, the most beneficial applications are for large volume fuel users. Some users are large heavy equipment and fleet operators that could see a significant return from these efficiency increases. For example, a user paying $4.00/gal and utilizing 25,000 gallons of fuel annually that can realize an efficiency increase of 5% by utilizing a system that optimizes fuel utilization, which is a savings of 1,250 gallons of fuel or roughly $5,000 annually. In a scenario where the fuel optimization system is being utilized to implement an alternative fuel at an estimated savings of $0.50 per gallon, the cost savings annually could be $12,500 coupled with the 5% efficiency increase, the client has the potential to realize a savings of up $17,500 annually per truck. In a fleet of 100 trucks, this savings could be almost $2,000,000 annually.
Outside of the actual fuel user, the fuel producer has a significant incentive for implementation of an optimal fuel utilization system. If a fleet has a choice between Fuel A and Fuel B, where Fuel B has been characterized and is compatible with the fuel optimization system and can provide a 5% efficiency gain over Fuel A; the fleet has a much greater incentive to utilize Fuel B. This gives the Fuel Producer B a competitive edge over Fuel Producer A and locks in a long-term customer. If fuel producers are creating proprietary fuels, additives, etc. and can enhance the combustion of these by utilizing a fuel optimization system—competition is created between the producers to improve the performance of their fuels/additives and they have an incentive to implement fuel optimization systems to acquire additional clients.